We're back, frazzled and travel (and work) worn, but we're back - and it's going to be an interesting couple of months before christmas. Japan inspired so many emotions, it's going to be boring to list them all, but it was my first trip to a non-english speaking country (of course, they did speak a little Eigo, you know what I mean) and it was a bit of a shock in some respects. Mostly it was like being in a giant mall with heaps of people, lights and noise everywhere. I think if I hear any one in NZ yell "IRASSHAIMASE!!!" at me, I'll go spare.

So, just quickly,

Rocked:

Hiroshima: Beautiful, tragic and very tranquil. I was standing outside an apartment building near a bridge, admiring a dragonfly moth that was humming about the flowers and this old guy comes out and starts telling me how the old bridge was destroyed and how much he used to love it. Then he talked about the river spirits and the Kappa who still lived there despite the destruction. He was so cute *sniff*. I call him Kappa-man

Miyajima: Tame deer who love to try and pilfer food out of your bag, gorgeous temples, hardly any people early in the morning, great stall food and manju (which Dante ate almost every flavour and now misses terribly), floating shrines.... ahhh...

Kyoto: Shrines, shrines and more shrines. And temples. AND MONKEYS (in a park, but they were still awesome. Execpt when you buy apple pieces to feed them, offer the apple to the monkey then EAT IT YOURSELF, SANDRA).

Dotonburi, Den Den Town and Americamura in Osaka: It was like the Cuba Mall (you'll only really get that if you're from NZ) Japan - Osaka was laid back and cool. We went into a goth shop where they looked like they were going to bite our necks and shopped til' we dropped for figurines and doujins.

Yoyogi Park: With the Rockabillies! Who sort of dance rock n' roll (they didn't really get it, but they did the look REALLY well). And people who take bunnies to parks!

Dante's Osaka friend for letting us crash, for taking us around all the model, pr0n stores and pretty much showing us everything cool (ye-yo).

D Grayman fans for producing a great amount of uke-kanda doujinshi *nom nom nom*

:vomit: Did not Rock:

Harajuku: Apparently Gwen Stephani ruined it. Maybe we came at the wrong time, but the only thing that was interesting was the stores selling lolicon, goth-loli etc and the store "Bodyline" for having awesome cosplay.

Shibuya 109: Ok, it kinda rocked and it kinda didn't. The stores and clothes were awesome. The storegirls, fakeness and prices and noise weren't. The boys at 109-2 were so primped, I'd worry about taking a candle within 500m of their hair, lest it burst into flame! And one store ripped Dante off, which fucked me off a lot.

Personal bubbles: They don't exist, however, it's like your in one BIG personal bubble with everyone trying to be the same. Sorry, I'm just used to the kiwi attitude and super relax-o nature, in Tokyo it just seemed like everyone was too focussed on their own business to have a laugh. This was probably the main thing that made me glad to be home... Kudos to all the peeps who helped us though. I'll admit, throwing Sandra at anyone would be a bit frightening...

Maid cafes, Maids making crepes, Maids serving ice cream, Maids with kitty ears, Maids, Maids, Maids: It gets old.


In general, we had a great time! And for 1 weeks worth of planning, I think we did rather well XD

News for back here:

- Sakura can kiss my arse.
- Kanda, why are you suddenly younger? This makes me feel a bit of a cougar.
- Possibly thinking of sketch commissions, if there's interest. Maybe $10 a portrait?
- Vote on Rahhc's contest!